For the past (almost) year or so, it has been my goal to make first place in a DCI-sanctioned event. Sidebar: After quitting during Time Spiral, I picked Magic back up last year around this time by going to FNM one week after a track meet on a whim, and I've been (re)hooked ever since that day. As long as Jace-the-Bane-of-My-Existence is still in Standard, there is little to no chance that the oh-so-coveted-and-magical first place will be mine in a Type 2 tournament, so I've turned my efforts to drafting.

For quite some time, my drafting was terrible. My favorite thing to do was take all the White cards I could get my hands on—without even looking at what was going by me—and then pout when I got my butt kicked by someone who read the table. After a while, this got incredibly tiring, and I enlisted the help of several friends and several online articles to get me from pathetic to Super Saiyan at drafting. It's taken a while to sink in, but I think I've improved tremendously. So without further ado, I'd like to tell you about my last two weeks of drafting, what I've learned, and what I'm planning on for this week.

Two Fridays ago, I decided that no matter what, I was going to kick some butt that night. I bought some packs with a friend, and we sat down and discussed every single card as a draft pick in those packs to warm up for that evening. I was feeling great when I sat down to draft—I had convinced myself to ignore the tempting mono-White deck and really consider every single card in the pack. What I drafted was quite fantastic, if you ask me, and I'm amazed at some of the cards that got passed to me (a ton of people were running Kuldotha Red or G/B Infect at my table, and I got a Skinrender fourth pick on the second pack. What?!).

1 Phyrexian Crusader

1 Skinrender

2 Oculus

2 Phyrexian Rager

3 Serum Raker

1 Gust-Skimmer

1 Moriok Replica

1 Myr Sire

1 Phyrexian Juggernaut

1 Go for the Throat

1 Tainted Strike

2 Steel Sabotage

3 Quicksilver Geyser

1 Corrupted Conscience

1 Contagion Clasp

1 Skinwing

1 Strider Harness

1 Tumble Magnet

+ appropriate land

I really liked this deck, and I honestly did kick butt. I was feeling great. Only one person even came close to holding a candle to my deck that night, and it was a mono-White deck that beat me out in Round 3. Round 4, I curb-stomped my opponent, but then he kept pestering me to draw into Top 8 with him. I don't like letting people down, and despite my wins against him, I drew into Top 8. Big mistake. Guess who I played Round 1 of Top 8? The one mono-White deck that beat me all night. I went 1–2 against him, and I was so incredibly mad at myself. If I hadn't been such a pushover, I wouldn't have been paired against the one deck that beat me, and I would have at least made it to Top 4. I honestly thought I was going to cry for a minute, I was so mad at myself. Moral of the story? Don't be unnecessarily nice to people. I should have said "No, I beat you," and gone on to glory in the Top 4.

The following week, I was even more determined; I knew that I was capable of making it to Top 4, and I knew what weak spots my Blue/Black had the week before. My deck came out ridiculously consistent (I got seven creatures that gave me card advantage!), and I wasn't planning on running Blue/Black again, but the cards kept coming to me!

1 Darkslick Drake

1 Lumengrid Drake

1 Serum Raker

1 Skinrender

1 Vedalken Certarch

2 Mirran Spy

2 Nested Ghoul

2 Phyrexian Rager

3 Oculus

1 Brass Squire

1 Moriok Replica

1 Shimmer Myr

1 Snapsail Glider

2 Quicksilver Geyser

1 Silverskin Armor

1 Viridian Claw

2 Piston Sledge

2 Sphere of the Suns

+ appropriate lands

This deck, which worked quite well, also made it to Top 8, though much less eventfully. I was beaten by a faster Green/Red ramp deck in Top 8 right away, which put an end to my first-place dreams for that week. What did I learn from getting my deck served to me by Green/Red? Don't psych yourself out! I'm terrible at this; as soon as I see myself losing, I allow myself to lose, even if I have a chance at taking it back. My friend who was watching the games let me know how I could've won both games before I got stomped! If you start thinking like you're losing, you probably will lose.

Anyway, despite my setbacks in previous weeks, I have high hopes for this weekend with the New Phyrexia prerelease! I will not be a pushover, and I will not allow myself to have a losing attitude. I hope that I can turn a Top 8 into a Top 4, and get even that much closer to that glorious and mystical first place!

Have fun drafting New Phyrexia, and let me know if you have any good advice for drafting—I'd love to hear it (especially if it's a story)! Next week, I'll talk about my second-place-winning Type 2 deck (it's so sad!—always a bridesmaid and never the bride!), and how I'm altering it with the inclusion of New Phyrexia. Thanks for reading!